NPHIC honored for excellence in public health communication

ILLINOIS—The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) announced that the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium has been recognized in a national competition honoring excellence in public health communication.

The Consortium won a bronze award in the category Websites and New Media for the development of IllinoisPandemicFlu.org, a robust repository of information on public health crisis communications, working with the media and public during a flu pandemic, incorporating social media into communication plans and helping at-risk populations during a health emergency.

“We are extremely proud that the premier nationwide voice of public health communication has recognized our work,” said Maureen McHugh, consortium president and DuPage County Health Department executive director. “After all, public health is about preventing illness and injury, and that means educating people to help them understand and reduce their individual health risks.”

The site was originally created for public information officers, medical professionals and others who regularly communicate with the public during a public health emergency such as pandemic flu. However, the resource provides valuable health information for the public at-large, including important information about seasonal flu and flu prevention, as well as hundreds of resources from trusted sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization.

“As a recipient of a NPHIC award, your organization has been designated by an independent panel of judges as among the year’s best in public health communication,” stated NPHIC President William Gerrish. “Congratulations on helping NPHIC pursue our mission to ‘make public health public.’”